Hey Space Bloggers!
After my last post, Erin wrote in about NASA’s Kepler Mission, a space telescope that is searching for Earth-like planets in our galaxy. She heard they found one.
And guess what? She’s right!
Following the Earth around the sun like a friendly puppy dog, Kepler looks for planets in nearby star clusters – that is if you consider a span of 3,000 light years to be nearby!
So far Kepler has found over 1000 possible planets, and confirmed that 15 definitely are planets.
Image credit: NASA/Tim Pyle
And that’s not all!
Just three days ago, NASA announced the discovery of 5 more possible planets; planets that are special for two reasons….
- First, they are about the same size as Earth, and
- Second, they are in the ‘habitable zone’ of their stars.
That means that they get enough light and heat from their stars to form liquid water and maybe even life.
So kids, what do you think…
Is there life out there? Do we share our galactic neighborhood?? Will we one day be holding an intra-solar system potluck???
Check in soon to see what your fellow Earth-kids have to say. Think up your own SpaceBlog nickname and sign on below. Leave a thought, fact, idea, or question for the cosmos…
I’ll be back soon with another SPLOG inspired by your comments; perhaps about the chances of life out there–in the great, distant, darkness of space–beyond our solar neighborhood.
I think I might explore Pluto.
Maybe I could find aliens in ice blocks there!
I could get in one myself!
Cool idea, Bella Bear! (excuse the pun) I guess you would be an alien on Pluto — would you find yourself???
I guess I would!
I think that we can find a planet with all different animals like on earth.
If I ever go to space I want to explore an unknown planet!
Hi Bella Bear! Welcome to Space Blog!
I agree. It would be interesting to explore a new planet. And exciting!
You know…you might not have to wait as long as you think. You’ve just given me an idea. Check back soon for my next post all about ‘Curiosity’!
That’s a nice picture of Jupiter, but my favorites are the pictures taken of Saturn and its rings and moons by the Cassini mission. The pictures of the fine structure in the rings, (the F Ring is a particular interest of mine) are really cool.
Great point, Lorin. The Saturn pictures are fabulous!
Fyi kids – find lots of incredible photographs and the latest mission news (including a countdown to the next Saturn flyby) at the Cassini web site, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Here’s a link directly to a photograph of the F ring and moons Lorin mentioned.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/index.cfm?imageId=4128
Enjoy!
Well, we certainly have found some weird kinds of life on *Earth* in what we thought were uninhabitable places, such as deep ocean vents. But, whenever we find really weird life, it doesn’t seem to be “intelligent life.”
So I’m going to go with the guess that we may find life, but it will more likely be more primitive life and we will be more likely to eat it than chat with it over a plate of potluck casseroles!